WAWAD (Wire-car Auto Workers Association of Detroit) will have a parking lot for their cars made out of wire installed in an exhibit in Detroit curated by Dashboard inside a old Pickle Factory from May - June. All cars will be archived and documented as participants and become honorary members of WAWAD so guests will know who the maker and the model of the car. During the month of April-May, a storefront in Detroit will be transformed into the WAWAD headquarters. On May 17, there will be a large wire car cruise on the border of Detroit and Hamtramck as part of the Porous Border Festival All participants are encouraged to come to this and cruise their cars.

If any makers can not make it for the cruise on May 17th, we are working collaboratively with the Bengal Driving School to use their parking lot to train wire-car designated drivers for the cruise. The cruise is a play with the famous Woodward Dream Cruise where car enthusiast from all over come with their pimped up cars to cruise on Woodward Avenue.

The making of wire-cars pushed with sticks is a cultural practice popular in the southern and central regions of Africa. WAWAD originated from the making of the first documented wire-car cruise, which was performed on the historical Woodward Avenue, where the earliest assembly of cars rolled their wheels on. The video documentary of this historical performance titled a dance for Diego was a community based project led by Chido Johnson with collaborators from different parts of Detroit, neighbors as close as Hamtramck and as far as Zimbabwe. It was to re-liven Diego Rivera’s conversation on Detroit as a culture of makers and dreamers. We are bringing WAWAD back with workshops and info sessions held in several locations in and around Detroit. Bring your dreams and be ready to make!

Its GREEN, it is a HEALTH PLAN and you become an honorary member of WAWAD!